Top grad program
US News selects physical therapy graduate program No. 1 in nation
6:19 a.m., March 16, 2016--The University of Delaware’s graduate physical therapy program has been ranked No. 1 in the nation in the 2017 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools.
In the newest rankings, the chemical engineering graduate program is ranked ninth in the nation, with UD's College of Engineering overall graduate program ranked 51st.
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In addition, five other graduate programs are listed among the nation's top programs in the 2017 edition: education (35), public affairs (45), part-time MBA (51), chemistry and biochemistry (60), and psychological and brain sciences (67).
"The University of Delaware offers a wide range of top graduate programs across all our seven colleges," University Provost Domenico Grasso said. "This latest recognition of these programs is an affirmation of the importance of UD's graduate education on a national stage and the key role they play in advancing our research and scholarly excellence."
Physical therapy
UD's graduate physical therapy program was rated best in the nation, tied at No. 1, with the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Southern California and Washington University in St. Louis.
"This recognition by U.S. News and World Report confirms what our students, alumni, faculty and staff and patients have known for some time," said Kathleen Matt, dean of the College of Health Sciences. "UD's Department of Physical Therapy is all about excellence. The Department of Physical Therapy offers students a combination of engaging classwork with world-renowned professors, hands-on clinical experiences and top-flight research opportunities. The quality of the program, as exemplified by the students and the faculty, translates to world-class comprehensive care in physical therapy that is offered here at our clinic on the STAR Campus. And we are proud of the students we train; they are the next generation of health care leaders."
All U.S. News rankings in health programs are based solely on the result of peer assessments surveys sent to deans, administrators and faculty members at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline.
The top four programs all received peer assessment scores of 4.3 on a five-point scale.
Long counted among the top physical therapy programs in the United States, UD’s Department of Physical Therapy is housed in the College of Health Sciences and has as its mission to advance the practice by providing outstanding entry-level and post-graduate education, translating science to deliver quality clinical services, leading federally funded rehabilitation research and training the next generation of rehabilitation researchers and leaders.
The department has several ongoing research programs that have received national attention, including studies of mobility for children and adults with disabilities.
Chemical engineering
The University’s chemical engineering graduate program also receives high grades on a consistent basis and is ranked ninth in the new U.S. News report.
UD is tied at ninth in the 2017 ranking with Princeton University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is ranked No. 1.
The chemical engineering graduate ranking is based solely on assessments by department heads in the specialty, who rated programs based on a five-point scale. UD received a score of 4.2.
The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, housed in the College of Engineering, has as its mission the provision of high quality education to students at all levels, to lead in the development and organization of new knowledge, and to provide technical service to the community.
Chemical engineering at UD celebrated its centennial in 2014.
Video by Ashley Barnas
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson